I would definitely take an earlier flight out of PHX. A lot can happen - maintenance/weather delays, cancellations or not getting on. One good rule of thumb is to take the earliest flight possible (5/6 am), especially if you are trying to make a connection. Better to be wasting the hours away in DFW than in PHX watching the plane you should've been on pull away. You can either cancel everything and relist or edit your current itinerary and then delete the segment you don't want and then add the segment you do want. It's really hard to predict what will happen with a flight. I've experienced everything from not getting on green flights, making it on oversold flights after they asked for volunteers and ended up not needing them to everything in between. A month out is still too far out. Within a week of travel is when nonrevs and commuting flight crew start listing.

1. Yes. If the flight is listed under My PNRs then you've been listed. You can go into "Priority List" to see how many other non-revs will board ahead of you. Make sure your name is on that list. I think you can only access it after check in.

2. I'm also a D2R. Flying coach on domestic flights has never cost me anything. I traveled to Beijing in coach and was charged $70 (see image). I've travelled to other international destinations and I believe I've always been charged a little. Probably just government fees.

3. I have no idea what this means. No experience here.

4. The invoice is sent after you have completed the flight, since you might not get on.

5. Correct, the passes are deducted from the pass bank several days after you have completed the flight.

6. I have never checked bags for non-rev flights out of fear that I will lose them in case I don't get on the plane. Are you sure you want to risk your bags being in China while you're still in the US? I'd recommend carry on only. It can be done if you pack well.

7. This is the same question I had that brought me to this forum. I would also like to have this questions answered since being able to register for US Airways flights would be extremely helpful.

8. When I got the Chinese visa I just gave them a print screen of the "gate and time" page on jetnet, and also the page that proves I'm eligible for the flight. Of course, I went and got my visa in person, so I was able to explain what it was to them. They seemed to understand what it meant to be in my situation, and they didn't ask any questions. I think that they just want to make sure you're thinking about getting there and back.

A few words of advice. Make sure your plans are flexible by several days. AA has gotten very good at filling up the flights at the last minute. Things can change drastically in the last few hours leading up to a flight. I've been bumped off several times when I thought I would surely get on. Also make sure you check in 12 hours in advance of the flight.

Welcome Aboard

7. This is the same question I had that brought me to this forum. I would also like to have this questions answered since being able to register for US Airways flights would be extremely helpful.

Welcome aboard John, I see you jumped right in and got your feet wet. There’s a seat for you right down front.
To answer your question
As an D2R you can now flight list directly through Travel US. On JetNet click on the Retiree Travel tab at the top of the page.
On the right side of the travel page you’ll see a section titled “Travel US-Travel Center“, there’s a guide and instructional video to help familiarize you with the US system.
BTW, you’ll have to provide a credit/debit card when you list, as you pay upfront when traveling on US flights.

JayAlexandra - I am located in PHX and am USAir/American. Whenever I consider connecting in DFW I always change my mind because even though there are a lot of flights per day with PHX, the non-rev count is most times in double digits, even in 20s. Later in the day there seem to be seats open, but I consider that there will probably be a number of non-revs rolled over to the later flights. Doesn't mean you won't get on, crazy things happen. Just a thought.

You all have been so helpful, I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found this forum! You all have been so generous and awesome in answering my questions! The process is so much clearer to me now!

Thanks isppilot, I was able to edit the segment and add an earlier flight for Dallas. I'll know about two weeks in advance if I end up not having to work the evening before the day we're supposed to leave, so I was thinking I might even try to leave then, since Basil noted that flights to Dallas can be tough. Thank you for the warning Basil! I wish we could connect elsewhere but the only flight I can find (that I'm able to select) to Hong Kong is from Dallas. If it was just me I could fly US probably, but my fiancee is using the D3 and I don't think I can book US flights with those yet. Hopefully we'll get on!

John, your answers were amazing! Especially the part about the visa! I'm getting my stuff together to send in to a visa company on monday, it's good to know that someone else flying AA standby was able to get one! Thanks for the advice about check-in too! And that image of your costs! It definitely makes things a little clearer. As for the US airways thing, I was confused too, because I didn't realize that the image of the text that says "Travel US" (right above the "web check-in") was a clickable link that takes you to book on US airways system. I clicked on that though and I was able to get in and look at flights.

So once you list for a flight, if you search for that flight again using the travel planner, will it show you as listed? Because now our flight to China has five non-revs, two D1T's, one D2, and one D2RT and one D3T. I looked in the tripbook, and I guess T means that Dallas isn't our origin destination? But I could have sworn that last week the flight just said "DR2" and "D3", which I assumed was us. But in all likelihood I could have missed the "T". I'm just wondering if the DR2T and the D3T that I see from DFW-HKG is us?

Either way, I'm so excited for this trip! Hopefully it'll only take us a day or two to get there!

Jay, that T stands for (Through). You’re a ‘through” connecting pax at your connecting city, in this case (DFW) - which means you have a higher boarding priority than a D2R who boards in DFW.
Your fiancé as a D3T, has a higher priority than D3s who board in DFW, but is behind D1, D2, D2R D2P etc.

Haha, I love that nonrev prayer! I'm definitely going to be whispering that to myself as I wait for my chance to get onto the plane.

So since our passes are on AA, does that mean we can absolutely only fly AA? By that I mean, do they ever try to put you on a plane of one of their subsidiaries? Like if don't get on our first AA flight, would they put us on a US airways flight instead or something? I'm just curious cause there's only two "AA" run flights to Dallas that show up on the trip planner the morning we want to leave, and there's only one DFW-HKG flight a day. I assumed that would mean we'd have to stay the night in Dallas if we couldn't get on the first day. I'm just wondering how many chances we actually have to get on.

I'm looking at the DFW-HKG flight for a few days from now, and there's like 25 nonrevs on there. Our flight in July has 8 nonrevs as of now. If our flight eventually has like 25 non revs, and there's only one AA DFW-HKG flight per day, does that mean people that missed the flight the day before would have higher priority on our flight?

And thank you Mig for the "through" explanation. So those D2RT and D3T I see on that flight on the trip planner is us then?

Also, if coach is booked but they have seats open in first or business will they let you on that? Do you have to pay the service fees for first class if that's all they have open? I read somewhere that said something along the lines of you should dress appropriately for first in case those are the only seats available. Is there anything else I should do to prepare for that?